Anna the dog

[katie23]

She just looked embarrassed.

I meant it in a good way!

^Anna is similar to my mom's dog (looking embarrassed) when she's destroyed something that she shouldn't. Usually it was a face mask which had fallen to the floor.

How can one be a racist in a good way?!

Yeah I know we're talking of dogs. Speaking of racism or classism, my hike friends & I talked abt classism among dogs. We know of people/ dog owners who keep 2 types of dogs in their homes: some soi dogs which stay outside only and toy dogs (shi tzu, beagle, spitz, etc) who stay inside only. Oftentimes, the hi-so dogs will sleep with their owners in their airconditioned bedrooms. I wonder if the "outside" dogs feel envious?

[Mendip]

How can one be a racist in a good way?!

I don't know, but supposing someone said, 'I prefer Asian women', would that not be a good way?

Or maybe a bad way, I just don't know.

I feel that I'm a bit out of touch these days and prefer not to commit myself on anything at all. Let's just leave this thread for the street dogs, hey?

Yeah I know we're talking of dogs. Speaking of racism or classism, my hike friends & I talked abt classism among dogs. We know of people/ dog owners who keep 2 types of dogs in their homes: some soi dogs which stay outside only and toy dogs (shi tzu, beagle, spitz, etc) who stay inside only. Oftentimes, the hi-so dogs will sleep with their owners in their airconditioned bedrooms. I wonder if the "outside" dogs feel envious?

Katie, I think that you have to be careful of the anthropomorphism of animals.

When I'm home, Lola sleeps with me. No aircon mind you, it's open windows and ceiling fan so Lola shares the same sweaty sheets and foul air as me. When I put her out in the morning I see no jealousy from the other other dogs, quite the reverse in fact.

I think that dogs just accept things for the way they are, no emotions involved.

[malmomike77]

I don't know, but supposing someone said, 'I prefer Asian women', would that not be a good way?

wouldn't that be a generalisation?

[Mendip]

^ Quite possibly, and I'm happy to agree with you, or not.

What do you think?

[DrWilly]

What do you think?

I think you should have accepted the simple admonishment with grace, apologise to Katie and then stopped digging a deeper hole.

But perhaps that's just me.

[katie23]

Katie, I think that you have to be careful of the anthropomorphism of animals.

I think that dogs just accept things for the way they are, no emotions involved.

Yeah, my friends and I were probably overthinking about the different "classes" of dogs and attributing hurt feelings to the outdoor soi dogs.

I remember when a time when I was walking with my mom's male dog (RIP Seis), we encountered a guy who was walking a female American bulldog. (I asked the breed) The bulldog was in heat and Seis immediately sniffed the other dog's parts. After less than a minute, he wanted to hump her! We (as owners) separated them from each other. The other dog (a hi-so dog) didn't care about Seis' lowly origins. They were both dogs and she was in heat. She wanted Seis & Seis wanted her back.

@willy - no apology needed from Mendy, we're all good.

[katie23]

This is a Jack Russell Terrier that I'm friendly with. It's / she's from another neighbor - near my apartment building. I once thought that it was a puppy until several months passed and the dog didn't grow in size. I realized that it was a small breed.

[Mendip]

^ Jack Russells are lovely little dogs and make great ratters.

We had one briefly when I was a kid. The dog just turned up at our house in Somerset and we kept it just long enough to get attached before the owners saw the notice in the Post Office and turned up to collect him.


I had to go on a short trip away from home this week and checked in on the pack from time to time in the evenings. I have a great daughter... I'd asked her to sit with the dogs for a while every evening to keep them company, and this she did. It was interesting to see how they surround her, just as they do me when we sit in the sala down by the pond.

Another interesting thing... even from a bar on Sukhumvit I could talk into my phone using the camera app and the dogs could hear my voice broadcast from the camera microphone. It really did confuse them and was surprisingly good fun.

It didn't confuse the daughter though... she just gave me the finger.

She's growing up way too fast.

[DrWilly]

Haha of course she did.


Glad to hear you got a passport run in.

[Mendip]

Anna is having one of her pseudo seasons at the moment and Tommy and Yogi, our two intact males, are unbearable. They're constantly grizzling and growling at each other and won't leave Anna alone. She snaps back at them but I think she secretly enjoys the attention.

Anna's pheromones must be pretty potent and these dogs must have such a good sense of smell. I've also noticed that Tommy and Yogi act weirdly around the human females of the family when menstruating - we humans have lost a lot.



Tommy must be feeling lucky as he even had a rare bath to impress Anna. Yogi doesn't bother about such niceties.

[cyrille]

Tommy and Yogi act weirdly around the human females of the family when menstruating - we humans have lost a lot.

Not sure what you mean by this.

[Mendip]

Well, what I meant was that due to the pheromones emitted, a male dog can detect when a female dog is in season despite there being no obvious (to humans) physical signs. Without going into details, it is also quite obvious that our male dogs can detect when the human females of the household are menstruating, presumably also due to the pheromones they emit and I'm sure that many other dog owners are also aware of this.

Last night Tem (Lola's father) was howling outside of our back gate, presumably due to Anna's season, and he must have detected this from several hundred metres away where he lives. I can sit in the same room as the wife and only know if she's 'on' because she's even snappier than usual. I believe I am correct in saying that there are species of moths where the male can detect a female in season from up to 5km away, due to the pheromones.

Humans have evolved with a low reliance on the sense of smell, however it is also thought that we are losing/have lost some of what natural capabilities we had due to an over-reliance on intelligence and all that goes with that, along with our tendency to regularly wash and use soaps and perfumes to mask our natural scent. We are also experts at masking true emotions by constantly using false body language to hide them. I can't link to any of this but my geology degree included biology modules and I'm sure that 'animal behaviour' covered this.

At least, I meant something along those lines. I have no proof of this, but I am pretty sure that a caveman knew when his missus was fertile without the use of thermometers and calendars.

Anyway, despite keeping me awake for half the night I couldn't help but be happy to see Tem and his family race down the lane to greet us this morning (although I'm sure he was hoping that we'd also brought Anna along with Lola).



The daughter shows an indifference which only makes Lola's family even more determined to greet her. I think she will be a dog owner and natural pack leader when she grows up.

[helge]

we humans have lost the plot.

There you go

[Looper]

I have no proof of this, but I am pretty sure that a caveman knew when his missus was fertile without the use of thermometers and calendars.

No he did not. At least not if you are referring to modern homo sapiens in the ancestral environment prior to the anthropocene and the dawn of civilisation.

Cavemen were in the dark as much as we are.

The evolution of concealed ovulation in sapiens (highly unusual among apes and even mammals) is a puzzle that has been written about at length in many excellent books on human evolutionary biology.

Nobody knows for sure but there seems to be a concensus around some ideas. Off the top of my head I remember a couple:

Sapiens are a pair bonding species where males spend long periods away from their female partner hunting. It is in a womans interests to conceal her ovulation from her partner so that he remains protective of her (and provides for her) at all times and not just while she is on heat.

Women are more faithful than men on average but they are incentivised to cheat in specific circumstances. E.g. when they have secured a provider mate but there are more high ranking mating options available nearby which can be engaged covertly while hubby is hunting. Concealed ovulation makes this cuckoldry easier for the female to execute. This is also the key to the male sexual jealousy impulse which is much stronger in males than females since males can never by 100% sure of there paternity.

For more discussion I recommend the following books

The Evolution of Desire: Strategies of Human Mating
David Buss

The Mating Mind: How Sexual Choice Shaped the Evolution of Human Nature
Geoffrey Miller

[Mendip]

No he did not.

Thank you Looper, and I'm very happy to be corrected by one so knowledgeable in the field!

[Stumpy]

nother interesting thing... even from a bar on Sukhumvit I could talk into my phone using the camera app and the dogs could hear my voice broadcast from the camera microphone. It really did confuse them and was surprisingly good fun.

Isn't technology great Mendy. Now get a chainsaw will ya

[cyrille]

Sounds like he just needs more dogs.

Thanks for expanding on the 'sense of smell' point, M.

Lopper reminded us of how we actually did evolve, with no canine involvement, was quite reassuring.

[Mendip]

Moodeng is in season.

She's a fine looking girl and I'm sure that she could have her pick of any number of suitors but I don't think her rear leg is quite up to that kind of thing just yet.

I think that this is quite remarkable when considering she was at death's door a few months ago. After her season I'll take her back to the same vet to be speyed. He's expensive but knows Moodeng's extensive medical history so I think that will be best.

Tem is very protective of his harem living in PJG's back garden but even so, whenever I walk past she runs up to greet us.

Moodeng, that is.

In fact I worry about getting to close to PJG's back door because Tem looked ready to attack Yogi this morning. Yogi of course was going frantic once he smelt Moodeng's pheromones.



I think that I'll stay away from PJG's rear entrance for the time being.

[Mendip]

I was in the gym this afternoon (where else...!) and Yogi walked up to say hello... sporting a massive bird shit on his head.



Some say that Yogi isn't top in the looks department so you'd have thought he would be a bit self conscious about walking around with a sloppy pigeon shit splattered on his forehead, but he just didn't care a jot. He wouldn't even let me wipe it off.



Yogi is very happy in his skin and doesn't worry about anything... and he still gets all the girls.

Maybe we could all learn a thing or two from Yogi?

[helge]

Maybe we could all learn a thing or two from Yogi?

Sure

Now, how do I find some philanthropist from Bristol, who'll volunteer to feed me trice a day.

PS: I do like a beer once in a while, but there will be no balls on the table. Promis !

How will I know when the ladies are in season ?

[Reg Dingle]

You'd have to look far and wide to find a more repulsive looking beast than that.
The dogs no oil painting either

[DrWilly]

Gym in bare feet?

[Mendip]

^ My gym, my rules.

And besides, I was only sitting there!

[DrWilly]

Oooh, you mean not actually using it?

[Stumpy]

Maybe we could all learn a thing or two from Yogi?

Ok so lets be honest here Mendy. Yogi has female dogs trapped in his yard. Its not like they have much of a choice. Its not like he goes out and about shagging on a Friday night and brings home some top flight lookers. Yogi didn't care about the pigeon shit on him....well...because it doesn't matter. He is where he is. Its not like the others have a choice with him stinking like bird shit either. Nothing to be learned here by Yogi other than he doesn't like shit wiped off him.

Also, I want to think that those nasty ass filthy feet when you took the pic was after yard work in those Big C slippers. If that's how you woke up, I'd stop washing my linens altogether and just burn them.